New
York Cricket Region
2008 Inter-League FinalMetropolitan Defeats American In Low Scoring Affair

By John
L. AaronSept. 17th, 2008
The Metropolitan League needed a total contribution of only 96 runs
from three of their batsmen, to defeat the American League in the
2008 New York Cricket Region’s Inter-League final, played at
Seaview/88th Street, in Brooklyn, last Saturday.

The low scoring
finale was somewhat surprising as some of the hottest bats around
could be found in both teams. However, it must have been the overcast
clouds that quieted the willows of those stepping to the middle, except
for Metropolitan’s opener Dale Evans whose contribution of 55
was more than half of the asking response to the American league’s
95 all out in 28.2 overs.

Batting first
the American League lost one of their openers H. Blades after just
six minutes of play and the score on seven. Posting 33 for the second-wicket,
the American League would reach 50 after 18 overs, with the five Metropolitan
bowlers used holding a very stingy line, indeed. American’s
top four batsmen were restricted to 62 runs in 20 overs, before the
remaining seven batsmen crumbled at an average of 3.29 runs per contribution.
It could have been worse had C. Collymore batting at number nine not
contribute 12 before being run out. There were only 10 extras allowed
by Metropolitan in the inning.

With the American
League wickets falling at 7, 33, 42, 43, 65, 65, 65, 78 and 78, the
American League was all out for 95. The top scorers were C. Thomas,
27, S. Skeete, 16, C. Williams, 15 and C. Collymore, 12. Bowling for
Metropolitan: E. Gayle enjoyed figures of 6.2-3-6-3, while D. Evans
2 for 17 off 5 and M. Miller 2 for 25 off 6, along with B. McLeish
1 for 32, did the mopping up of the American League wickets.

With the bar for
victory set below 100, Metropolitan behind the bat of Dale Evans set
about the task purposefully, after losing two early wickets with only
18 runs on the board. Akeem Dodson failed to ignite after facing three
deliveries, while C. Roye, despite facing one more delivery that Dodson,
also failed to score. That left opener Evans, 55 (7x4s) and I. Thomas,
19 (2x4s) to reach the victory target, but not before O. Crawford
had his say of 12, before being caught by C. Williams off the bowling
of A. Gordon.

The American League’s
bowler of the day was A. Gordon, capturing all three of the Metropolitan
League wickets behind numbers=2 0of 5-0-31-3. Impressive figures but
not enough to prevent Metropolitan from soaring to the 2008 Inter-League
championship. The Metropolitan wickets fell at 13, 18, and 36, as
the team reached 97, including 11 extras and the victory in 18.5 overs.

For senior Umpires
Mohamed Baksh and Fitzroy Hayles it was a relative stroll in the park,
as the Metropolitan champs wrapped up things with a bit of sunshine
still peeking from behind the threatening clouds.